Accompanied by 10 members of his campaign team, Josep Maria Bartomeu explained his project for FC Barcelona’s next six years: “It’s a program of projects, a model of management that would reinforce our leadership in the world, so that in 2021 we are still leaders and a unique brand in the world. That we are recognized like Apple, NASA, Facebook… The objective is that in 2021 people associate football with Barça.”

The campaign is based on the continuity of a board that, according to Bartomeu, “brought the biggest profits in history.” As he explained, “Everything relies on the Espai Barça project, because it’s not just a big project or about some facilities, it’s a concept that goes beyond that and it's the key and base of the club’s future. Espai Barça will make us better from a sporting and social point of view because it is thought out with the idea of continuing to have the best team in the world, so that out socís enjoy the facilities and because in itself it represents an asset that can generate new income that we need. What we have now is not enough.”

In his analysis Bartomeu said that Barça counts on five great assets for the future: its socís and penyas, world image and prestige, knowledge and experience, sporting excellence and Espai Barça: “Our sporting project is based on La Masia 360, creating a support office for the players and coaches. We will improve the development of women’s sport; we want that to become a reference point, too. And our third sporting point is the creation of an FC Barcelona observatory and university, inside of the Espai Barça, a center for development in football and sport.”

The former president also noted that “we have the biggest social support in the world: 140,000 members and 150,000 penya members, which allows us to be independent from economic, sporting and media powers.”

“A key of our global expansion is the work of our Foundation, which is the arm that executes our charitable responsibilities. Solidarity is one of Barça’s qualities and we want to expand our reach with new alliances and new programs, particularly in the diffusion of values to children through sport.”

On prospective signings, Bartomeu said, “We know what players Luis Enrique wants because the planning for next season was done before we resigned. The Managing Commission knows that the executives are working on these players and have some financial guidelines that we drew out before resigning. But if the Commission signs a player that Luis Enrique wants, it is not going to benefit one candidate, it’s going to benefit the team and Barça, it will be an asset for the club.”

“We are in a very competitive world, with rivals that have unlimited resources. Barça cannot stop because one of these big clubs could steal a signing from us. We will not use these names in the campaign,” he added, while also making clear that “Pedro is on no list, Luis Enrique counts on him.”

Bartomeu stated that “I’m not here to divide opinions; I won’t say that some culés are good and some are bad, as I’ve shown during these years. Even if I’m being attacked I won’t go down that road.” But he did make sure to send a message to Joan Laporta’s campaign team that has plenty of important figures: “I’ve always thought that former Barça players are part of the club’s patrimony but if some of them decide to go and look for work with another candidate that’s their decision.”

About Cruyff’s support for Laporta, Bartomeu noted that “we participated in a project to improve some schools with Johan and his foundation and our relationship with him is very cordial.”

Asked again about the Qatar sponsorship, the former president reiterated that “it did not impede our global expansion. It actually helped us with that. Qatar is present in companies like Vueling and Seat and we don’t stop flying with Vueling or buying Seat cars because of that. I value the words of UNICEF’s world communications director who said that she is pleased with Barça and with sharing the shirt with our sponsor. UNICEF and Qatar Foundation have projects together. A Qatari NGO like Rota has been a part of the project ‘1 in 11’ with UNICEF and ourselves to finance an education program in Asia.”

Admitting that “things didn’t work out well in the basketball section this season,” Bartomeu lamented that “Barça has lost a player that we raised like Mario Hezonja. We don’t want to be a Masia for the NBA. That’s why I think that Barça must lead the other European basketball teams in a conversation about what direction to go.”

Asked about selecting Gerard López as a coach for the B team, the ex-president said that “that decision belongs to the elected board who will confirm the figure of the new coach.” About a technical secretary, Bartomeu commented that “we will have one if we win,” reiterating that he won’t give names during the campaign because that hurts the club.

The precandidate also said that “some months ago a great forward who plays in Germany didn’t come here because he wasn’t sure of the playing time he would get so he renewed for his club.” Without mentioning any names, it looked like he was talking about Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus.

About the academy Bartomeu recalled that, beyond any early results, “the great purpose of the academy is to form players for the first team and this year we’ll have at least two players who will make the jump to the first team because the coach wants them.”

Asked about the possible sanction from UEFA for the exhibition of “esteladas” [Catalan flags symbolic of the fight for independence] at the Champions League final in Berlin, Bartomeu recalled that there is “freedom of expression” and that all the fans there behaved exemplarily. Once again he said that he wants the club to be “independent from politics and economics” and reiterated the club’s “commitment to Catalunya.”